Lord Richard Attenborough's son has opened up about his father's final years, revealing the late actor/director never fully recovered from a fall at his home in 2008.

The Jurassic Park star passed away on Sunday (24Aug14) at the age of 90 after several years of ill health.

He spent 18 months in hospital following a stroke and a fall at his home in 2008, and was admitted to a care home in 2012, and his theatre director son Michael Attenborough has now revealed his father was never the same after the accident.

He tells Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "He was quite simply my hero; my supporter, my counsellor, my friend. He changed hugely when he had his accident. He hit his head very badly and I have no idea how he survived. When he emerged after 18 months in hospital, he was obviously not the same man. He couldn't read and write. The two things it was terrible to take away from my dad were his activity and articulation. He could get the odd word out but it was impossible to say sentences.

"He could say my name and that was it. When he first came out of hospital he seemed hugely frustrated but in the last 18 months he was much more resigned."